$79.95

1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 Chase Car 1:18[39402CH]

1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 1:18 scale diecast chase car from Ertl American Muscle Authentics series in Silver Gray with a matching interior. This chase car version has a painted black top and sets it apart from the normal release. This diecast car features opening hood, doors, and trunk, movable steering, folding and sliding front seat, retractable antenna, detailed underside, fully wired and plumbed engine, spare tire in the trunk, and much more.

About the car: The Oldsmobile 88 was a full-size car sold by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors and produced from 1949 until 1999. From 1950 to 1974 the 88 was division's top-selling line, particularly the entry-level models such as the 88 and Dynamic 88. The 88 series was also an image leader for Oldsmobile, particularly in the early years (1949-51) when it was one of the best performing automobiles thanks its relatively small size, light weight and advanced overhead-valve high-compression.

In 1950 the Oldsmobile Rockett 88 styling changes included the replacement of a two-piece windshield with a one-piece unit and the addition of the Holiday hardtop coupe to the line. Also a three-speed manual transmission with column shift became available as a "delete for credit" option to the Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. The 88 now outsold the six-cylinder 76 lineup, which was dropped entirely after the 1950 model year.

The Rocket engine debuted in 1949, originally named for its principal designer, Charles Kettering, as "Kettering Power". Corporate GM policy disallowed that, so the powers that be opted for "Rocket Power". It was termed the Rocket 88 engine. This engine was big in NASCAR, in fact with the automatic (no manual transmission available early on), the Rocket won 8 out of 10 races in 1950. This engine had a number of interesting features: overhead valve train, hydraulic lifters, over square bore-stroke ratio, forged crank with counterweights, aluminum pistons, full-floating wrist-pins, and a dual plane intake manifold.